Peranakan Private Dining
I have been a fan of Mama Jac’s Kitchenette since my first meal there in 2022! What captivated me most was Jacqueline’s dedication to Peranakan cuisine and her continuous research to revive forgotten recipes. Dining there is always a culinary exploration, and on this visit, we uncovered more forgotten Peranakan gems.
As I mentioned in my previous post, Jacqueline’s culinary focus is on Peranakan cuisine, despite not having any Nonya roots. Her dishes are drawn out of cookbooks and cherished memories of Nonya dishes and flavors she had come across. During the Covid period, she transformed her modest three-bedroom apartment into a private dining space, which she affectionately named ‘Mama Jac’s Kitchenette.’ This cozy venue quickly became known for its warm, homely atmosphere and personalized dining experiences.
Food Review
Our meal began with a selection of small bites, with the Babi Roti leading the pack. I only discovered Babi Roti when I started writing about food, and I don’t recall ever eating it as a kid. This dish is now hard to find in Singapore, but I managed to try it at Restoren Yut Kee in KL. Mama Jac’s version is inspired by the popular Cantonese prawn toast. The minced pork is first seasoned with coriander, nutmeg, and sand ginger, then spread on a piece of bread, which is subsequently deep-fried! The flavor of the minced pork is so tasty and nostalgic! I would order it in a pinch if it were served at a nice cafe somewhere! 4/5
Babi Hati Bungkus is a another lesser-known dish in traditional Peranakan and Malay cuisine. It features a rich blend of seasoned pork liver, mixed with aromatic herbs and spices, then wrapped in caul fat to form a neat parcel. At Mama Jac’s, the parcels are fried until the exterior crisps up and served on a thin cracker. I don’t usually like pork liver, but the spices made this more palatable. Liver lovers on the other hand would probably find it irresistible! 4/5
Our next hors d’oeuvre was sambal buah keluak, served on a piece of crispy mock duck (soya chip). The sambal buah keluak had a rich, earthy flavor that I enjoyed, though I felt it would pair better with a small nugget of rice to complement its bold taste. 4/5
The fried crab roll is a popular dish we’ve had before, but Mama Jac’s version is unique for its date-like shape which is what it should be since it is “Hoi Zhor” in Teochew which literally means “Crab Dates”
While most places simply roll the meat paste in a soybean wrapper and cut it into bite-sized pieces after steaming, Jacqueline ties each piece with string before steaming to achieve this distinctive shape. 4.25/5
The dish that truly captivated me this time was the 1866 Laksa, based on a recipe from a cookbook dating back to 1866 and shared by Johor Kaki. This yellow curry was created for the Dutch colonists, who weren’t accustomed to spicy food. The flavor was incredibly nostalgic, reminding me of the chicken curry once served at Rendezvous Restaurant in the ’70s and ’80s. The secret to its distinct taste lies in the use of local herbs like fingerroot, lengkuas (blue ginger), and ginger! 4.5/5
Don’t expect traditional satay skewers with the pork jowl satay; this version is served without skewers and isn’t grilled at all. The only thing it shares with the familiar satay is the rich blend of spices. What I particularly enjoyed about this dish is the use of pork jowl, which is cooked perfectly to achieve a tender, yet bouncy texture. While I personally would have preferred it to be a little sweeter, Mama Jac’s dishes tend to lean more towards savory than sweet 4/5
Itek Sio is a flavorful and aromatic Peranakan dish featuring duck that has been slowly braised in a savory, slightly tangy sauce until it becomes tender and almost falls apart. The result is a dish with a rich, savory base, accented by the tanginess of tamarind and the warmth of the spices. I must confess that I’m not a big fan of the ‘Sio’ dishes. I would never have it on its own as the main dish, but it works very well as a secondary dish, as the tangy sauce provides a nice contrast to the more ‘lemak’ (rich) dishes. 4/5
Jacqueline surprised us by serving cincalok prawns instead of the usual sambal prawns. The fermented krill infused the tiger prawns with an extra layer of umami. I had anticipated a touch of sweetness and tanginess, but the dish leaned more toward a more salty and savory profile. 4/5
The final dish was a Penang-style chap chye featuring brinjal and tofu simmered in a sauce made from salted fish bones. While I felt the brinjal would have had a better texture if it had been deep-fried first, the sauce stood out with its distinct flavor, which was quite different from usual Nonya chap chye. 4/5
Conclusion
Mama Jac’s Kitchenette is the perfect place to experience Peranakan cuisine. Once you get to know Jacqueline, you can even request rare or hard-to-find dishes. If a dish isn’t already featured on the menu, she’s likely to do her research and add it to the menu! It’s also a great spot to take overseas visitors—not only will they enjoy fantastic food, but they’ll also experience warm heartland hospitality and get a sense of how most Singaporeans live.
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